


Flying, Falling

by millionwrites



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Enemies to Lovers, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-10-31 21:59:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10908279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/millionwrites/pseuds/millionwrites
Summary: Rey is completing her training with Luke when she makes the mistake of entering Kylo Ren's mind - beginning a spiral of events which will change the galaxy. But will it lead to destruction, or rebirth?Tags to be added as fic progresses !





	1. Prologue

 

The vacuum of space stared at Kylo Ren, and Kylo Ren stared back.

 

All was well in space - space was as abysmal and never ending as ever - an uncaring void. All was not well in Kylo Ren, however. Rage - pitiful, powerful, burning - all consuming. This was all ordinary. What stood out was the rather unusual feeling of hope. All because Kylo Ren had divined the location of Skywalker’s island - and before the First Order too.

 

He’d been sitting there, staring into the inky blackness, exhausted from ruthless training, his mind occupied with vengeful thoughts - when he felt a  _ tug _ , a tiny pull, something barely glancing off the edges of his thoughts. For anyone else, it would have felt like a nagging memory, some forgotten uncompleted task, something to ignore. But Kylo Ren wasn’t just anybody, and this little  _ tug  _ had Scavenger written all over it. 

 

And that was all he needed.

 

He grinned out into the darkness. It seemed sloppy, really. That tiny brush of the Scavenger’s mind told him everything he needed to know - her exact location on the island, on the planet, in the cosmos!  His grin grew as he imagined presenting the information to the Supreme Leader - and then it faded almost as quickly as it had appeared.

 

If he were to tell the Supreme Leader that he knew of the Scavenger  _ and  _ Skywalker’s location - only to let them slip away once more -

 

Kylo’s vision shifted, focusing on his reflection in the transparisteel rather than the stars beyond. His face - marked by the Scavenger - glowered back at him, and his upper lip twisted with distaste at the memory. He wasn’t sure what had hurt more - the physical pain the girl had inflicted on him, the emotional pain of losing (oh how he loathed that word) to  _ her _ , or the mental pain of Snoke’s thorough torture following his extraction from the dying planet. He tutted under his breath. Certainly none of the three had been pleasant, and he intended to pay her back in full.

 

His grimace twisted into a snarl as he stood, sick of the sight of himself. Leaving alone was almost as dangerous as staying. If he were to get into trouble, he couldn’t call the First Order for backup - Snoke would surely kill him for hiding Skywalker’s location for the sake of his own vendetta. But if he were to tell Snoke now, he might lose his only chance to thank the Scavenger  _ personally  _ for his punishment. 

 

His gloved fingers itched, the desire to scratch at the scar which split his face almost overwhelming. 

 

And that was all the convincing he needed.

 

Saber in hand, Kylo Ren left his quarters. 

 

_ It was time for a rematch. _

  
  


~*~

  
  


The meditation chamber was silent save for their breathing - as Luke and Rey sat motionless, eyes closed, seeking out the minds of First Order operatives halfway across the galaxy.

 

They were attempting a new method of recon - Leia had come to them with news of an incoming attack, and any information about it was vital. Luke’s idea, stemming from Rey’s retelling of Kylo’s mind probe was a simple one: to peer into the thoughts of weak-minded members of the First Order, and extract information as delicately as possible. The distance posed a challenge, but Luke assured Rey that it was possible - if only with some concentration.

 

But unfortunately for Rey, matching Luke’s focus was proving difficult - something to do with the decades of experience Luke had over her, most likely.

 

No matter how hard she concentrated she couldn’t work it - the dots wouldn’t connect, it just wouldn’t  _ flow  _ \- but then!  _ Then _ something clicked.

 

She could feel something drawing her in, and she surged towards it,  _ finally _ , glad to have something catch her attention, glad to be moving forward, glad to -

 

Rey came out of her meditation with a gasp, and saw Luke react similarly through widened eyes.

 

“What’s wrong?” He questioned urgently, his gloved mechanical hand reaching out to support her. She batted it away, running her other hand through her hair.

 

“I think - I think I tried to read his mind - Kylo, Kylo Ren.” Rey was horrified, how could she have been so stupid - like a moth to a light, so ignorant - such a clear trap and yet -

 

“Did you see anything? Rey, talk to me!” demanded Luke, seizing her upper arms, trying to get her to focus on him. 

 

“I think he noticed me. For the barest of moments - I think he knew I was there.” Her breathing was uneven, her pulse flagging at her neck. Luke, sensing her fear, altered his tone.

 

“That’s unfortunate. Rey, we must be careful,” started Luke, but Rey interrupted him, frantic.

 

“I know, I’m so sorry-” Rey’s face was harsh, drawn tight and scared.

 

“Though I’m sure it will be fine. We know from your time as Kylo’s captive that you’re more than a match for his mental probes - the likelihood of Kylo being able to obtain any useful information from a split second connection - is highly unlikely.” Rey visibly relaxed, her shoulders slumping and a sigh escaping her lips. Luke watched her fondly, albeit worriedly. 

 

“It’ll be fine, Rey. Come, that’s more than enough for one day.” Standing, Luke offered his hand once more. Taking it, but not meeting his eye, Rey spoke with her head bowed.

 

“I’m sorry Master Luke - I’ll be more careful next time.” Luke smiled ruefully, waving his hand nonchalantly over his shoulder as he exited the meditation chamber. The girl worried too much.

  
  


Later, after eating their meagre portions for dinner (still better than those she’d eaten on Jakku), Rey sat alone on one of the island’s many rocky outcrops. She was on the westward side - her favourite - as it was both out of the cruel sea wind, and bathed in the last of the day’s warm rays of sunlight. If there was one thing on this island that drove her mad, it was the cold. Her years on Jakku left her accustomed to the dry, neverending heat of the desert - and the contrast between that and the moist sea air of Ach-To was severe - leading to her current practice of soaking up every drop of sun she possibly could. 

 

Sighing, she lay back against the roughly hewn rock face, her head tipping back as she gazed up at the sky. Training was going okay - Luke seemed pleased with her, Leia seemed happy when she was given reports of Rey’s progress - but Rey felt … Stagnated. 

 

It was bizarre - to be told that her work was crucial, the backbone of the Resistance - when the last time she’d been anywhere near fighting was at the fall of Starkiller! All this time, all the battles and planning and missions her friends had taken part in during recent months, all the victories against the First Order they had celebrated - Rey hadn’t helped with any of it. 

 

She was stuck here on this lonesome island, wrestling with Luke’s training - begging him to teach her more or  _ let her go _ \- either option so long as she could be of use. But after today’s debacle, she didn’t see much more training in her future. 

 

It struck her then just how much she had changed since the beginning of her journey. Gone were her days of disdain and nonchalance concerning the Resistance. She hadn’t wanted to admit it then, but looking back she could see that the moment she’d left Jakku, everything had changed. She had friends now, real friends - mentors too, people who loved and supported her - people who were actually  _ there, _ not just ghosts, fading like footsteps in the sand.

 

But was that it? Were the people she’d met the only things holding her to the Resistance? But then again, what else was there to fight for but people?   Oppressed peoples, endangered peoples, people who deserved freedom and autonomy -

 

Rey caught herself mid-thought and laughed. She really had changed. 

 

Sighing deeply, she settled deeper into the craggy rock, plucking a piece of grass and twisting it between her fingers. If she were to be responsible for the galaxy, she needed to be more careful, she scolded herself. No, no more close calls with Ren, the recon was dangerous enough as is without dragging him into the mix. 

  
  


As the sun dipped below the horizon, Rey relaxed. Master Luke was probably right - there was nothing to worry about. If she remembered Ren correctly, she thought with a smirk, he’d have a tough time working out where she was from a  _ minute  _ of mental connection, much less a split second. No, Luke was right, there was nothing to worry about, and tomorrow she’d get right back into recon like nothing had happened. This was her, doing her part for the Resistance. She’d help in any way she could, even if it was currently outside her abilities.

 

Resigned, she began to shift herself up, ready to return to her hut for a good night's rest. It was useless staying awake on the island after nightfall, and Jedi training took more out of you than you’d think. 

 

It was then, in the fading light, that the Imperial Ship Broke the atmosphere. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi hi hello! I'm Mil, I'm new to the Reylo community, it's lovely to meet you all! This will be a multi-chaptered fic, I'm aiming for about 8 chapters, but we'll just have to see how it goes! I want to thank my AMAZING beta reader TehanuFromEarthsea (archiveofourown.org/users/TehanuFromEarthsea) who was just fantastic, really. I'm going to use this moment to plug my own links - I'm runningwithbats on tumblr, come on over if you wanna join me in screaming about Star Wars etc. Anyway - thank you so much for reading, the new chapter should be up in a few days! <3 Much love, Mil <3


	2. Chapter One: The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on posting this so late - but a little thing called Skulduggery Pleasant: Resurrection got in the way of my ENTIRE LIFE - expect chapter two to come a lot faster!

 

 

It was safe to say that Kylo Ren was feeling pretty self-assured when he exited hyperspace above the tiny planet of Ahch-To, with murder on his mind and his lightsaber itching at his side.

 

It had been stupidly easy to get away from his responsibilities, he thought, as his TIE fighter  broke through Ahch-To’s atmosphere. Just some mumbled mumbo-jumbo about finding lost holocrons in an abandoned temple and Hux was already waving him away in favour of more stimulating conversation. He supposed he hadn’t  _ really  _ lied to him - he was going to an abandoned temple, and who knows - maybe there’d be some holocrons too. It was the other prize he was more excited about however. The head of Luke Skywalker, and a new, immensely powerful student for Snoke - or perhaps if he played his cards right - himself. 

 

It was of course, in the midst of this daydreaming that everything had to go wrong.

 

He was coming in at the wrong angle - he cursed himself for his eagerness - trying to correct what he already knew was set in stone. If there had been a chance, the in-flight navigation system would have picked up on it long before he had, and he’d disabled that the moment the ship became his (he vaguely remembered thinking something along the lines of ‘I’ve flown the Millennium Falcon - I don’t  _ need  _ navigation’). 

 

He cursed himself again, this time as he scrambled with the controls, a chorus of voices in his head telling him to ‘ _ Pull up! Pull up NOW! _ ’ or else face the fate of being dashed on one of the many rocky outcrops jutting out of the sea. And he so he did - using all his strength to pull up, to alter the course - for a moment it seemed as if he wouldn’t make it - but make it he did! He corrected his course, and his view shifted from one of sky to one of green - to one of too much green -

 

And Kylo’s moment of success was cut short - when the left wing of his TIE fighter caught on a rocky outcrop, sending the whole ship careening into what had once looked like a primitive hut.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Rey watched in horror as the ship approached - her terror freezing her frame and drying her mouth. It was coming in low, far too low, barely cresting the white capped waves as the pilot - whoever it was (she hoped against hope that it wasn’t who she thought it was) - wrestled with the steering in an attempt to pull up before they crashed into the rocky cliffs surrounding the island. It seemed impossible that they could pull up in time at this speed and trajectory - but at the last possible moment the angle changed, and they roared past Rey and continued across the island. 

 

It took a moment for Rey’s legs to start working again, and she took off after the ship. Panting as she stumbled across the rough terrain, her shaking vision focused on the ship. It looked as if the pilot had overcompensated after clearing the cliff, and was once again skimming just feet above the ground. 

 

Terror seized her as one of the wings clipped a jagged stone - swinging the whole ship around, and sending it spiralling into Luke’s hut. 

 

“NO!” She screamed - her voice ragged, her knees almost giving out beneath her. Urging herself forwards, she stumbled, scrabbling ahead with her hands as she sprinted towards the wreckage. 

 

“LUKE!” She called desperately - avoiding the ship as she frantically began searching through the rubble. Overturning jumbled stones, moving with a frenzied sense of purpose - tears gathering in her eyes. The world seemed muted - panic was leeching into her muscles, she was shaking, tensing up. Faintly, in the background, she could hear flames consuming the TIE and Chewie’s confused roars from further down the island - and a voice, a man’s voice, approaching -

 

“Rey - REY! I’m here - listen to me!” She was only shaken from her trance when someone seized her shoulder - Luke - alive, all in one piece, somewhat scorched.

 

She launched herself onto him - arms wrapped around his neck, clutching at his hair - so immensely glad to see him safe. 

 

“I heard the TIE approaching, got out only a little charred,” muttered Luke into her ear. “Rey, listen, we have to leave right now. It’s him, he’s here, we  _ need  _ to leave.” 

 

Rey’s eyes, finally regaining their focus, spotted somebody over Luke’s shoulder, stumbling away from the wreckage. Swathed in black, only his face exposed, his helmet forgotten in the burning ship. His face; pallid - with the exception of his furious burning eyes, and a slash of red bisecting his face. Even redder now, as he lit up his spitting, wrathful lightsaber. Suddenly everything was moving again and Rey was on her feet, her own saber igniting in her palm. 

 

“Rey! Forget him, we need to leave!” shouted Luke. Rey hazarded a glance towards him, noting that his own lightsaber wasn’t present - likely somewhere beneath the jumbled stones of his wrecked hut. 

 

“Get to Chewie, start up the Falcon. I’ll take care of Ren,” she spat, anger overriding good sense as her foe came ever closer.

 

Luke protested, but as he stood to pull her away he was knocked off his feet - a blast from Kylo, and by the time he hit the ground he was already unconscious. Rey spun, her rage growing with every second, and charged towards the dark figure, swinging her lightsaber fiercely to finish what she started on Starkiller. 

 

Kylo snarled, raised his saber to block her attack, and the duel began.

 

Kylo was off his game, Rey could tell. A crash, even one as minor as the one he had just been through, was enough to throw anyone off. He was staggering slightly, his footfalls heavy. Not in as bad of a way as he’d been on Starkiller, but then again, Rey was far stronger than she’d been back then. 

 

He met every one of her attacks, blocking her, but not managing to attack her himself. She could feel the beginnings of a grin forming at the corners of her mouth -  _ she was going to win _ .

 

It was only when she felt herself stumble on Luke’s cloak that she realised her mistake - he’d been playing her - this was all a ploy to get to Luke, and even as she realised, he was raising up his lightsaber to deal the killing blow -

 

Rey  _ launched  _ herself at Kylo, taking him off his feet, and further still, over the steep embankment of the island’s side. The two of them rolled, lightsabers lost in the fall, limbs tangling and torsos crushing, falling heavily down the cliffside. 

 

They came to a sudden stop, before falling once more - this time straight down rather than diagonally. Rey’s world was darkness - and as she hit the ground with a solid, permanent  _ thump  _ this time, and she realised with horror that they had fallen through the ground into one of the caves that riddled the island. 

 

The only light came from the hole they had created with their combined weight - and the floor of the cave was wet and dank with seaweed. Groaning, she shifted, turning over onto her back, cradling her right arm against her chest.  _ Broken _ , she thought - maybe only a fracture. Not too bad, but enough to hinder her escape. There was no way she was climbing out of here. Next plan then - a Force assisted jump. Standing gingerly, she judged the distance between herself and the cave ceiling. It would be a push, but she might  _ just  _ be able to make it. Breathing deeply, she summoned her will and leapt - her fingers reaching as far as she could, and still failing to so much as brush the roof of the cave. 

 

With a panicked cry, she feel towards the cave floor, cursing Luke and his selective training on the way down. She hit the ground and immediately rolled to make the impact less painful - but her injured arm threw her off balance and she stumbled face first towards the floor once more. Fortunately, her landing was cushioned. Unfortunately, said cushion was none other than  _ Kylo Ren _ . 

 

Rey rolled away hastily as Ren groaned - it appeared she had woken him up. Her eyes searched his form for his terrifying saber, and she cursed herself for not checking his position before trying to escape. Her own saber  was gone - lost in the fall down the cliff side - and if his was here she only had moments to retrieve it before her chance was lost. She couldn’t see it. Nowhere in the cave was the dull glint of metal. Torn between relief and frustration, she backed further away from Ren. Just because he didn’t have his saber didn’t mean he couldn’t do her any damage. 

 

She was circling the cave, looking for another way out when Ren stirred again, groaning louder this time, and moving as if to sit up. Rey stiffened, unsure whether to hide or step forward. As if he sensed this, Ren spoke. 

 

“I know you’re there scavenger. My eyesight isn’t so poor as to not see you lurking in the shadows. You didn’t do that much damage with  _ my  _ saber,” he said dryly. “And aren’t I supposed to be the shadow-lurker?” Rey’s lip curled in distaste, stepping out into the light. 

 

“Are you just going to lie there? No fight left in you?” she asked bitterly. Kylo watched her, and if she wasn’t looking at the closest thing left to a Sith Lord in the Galaxy, she might have said he was wearing a bemused expression. 

 

“Actually, it’s the debilitating pain of my broken leg which is keeping me down - though that’s neither here nor there. Your swift elbow to my solar plexus is more than enough reason to lie on the floor here, don’t you think?”

 

Ah. So that was what she’d hit. Now that she looked, she could see his left leg was twisted slightly - it was hard to tell with all the clothing - but from the angle of his foot - ouch. Rey had seen some bad breaks from her time on Jakku, and this one was particularly nasty.

 

And thank the Maker for that.

 

Satisfied that he wasn’t going to jump up and chase her, Rey continued her exploration of the small cave, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, searching for another escape - all the while keeping an eye on Ren. And there it was - an opening, about halfway up the wall, which appeared to continue on as a tunnel. Her ticket out of here.

 

She started towards it - left hand searching for hold while her feet scrabbled for purchase on the steep, slippery cave wall. It was in that moment that she slipped, of  _ course  _ she just  _ had  _ to slip, and she slammed forwards, crushing her broken arm against her chest, scraping her chin as she cried out in alarm, and tumbling down to the cave floor once more, all her progress erased. 

 

A snort of laughter echoed through the cave as she groaned on her side, cradling her ruined arm, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Furiously, she rolled to her feet, springing upright and marched over to Ren, whose laughter abruptly subsided. A swift kick to his injured leg earned her a sharp yelp, and she resisted the urge to send another his way as she glared down at him. 

 

“Can’t you see what you’ve gotten us into? We’re trapped!” She slumped to her knees as her frustration overtook her. “Why did you come here? Why must you keep up this blasted crusade against the light?! Against your family?” The atmosphere changed almost immediately, as Rey’s aggravation got the better of her, and her deeper confusion slipped out into her rant. 

 

“I won’t explain myself to you, scavenger,” replied Kylo haughtily, a bite of warning in his tone. Rey ignored it, pushing forwards regardless. 

 

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing - can’t you see what evil is pervading the Galaxy - at your hands?” She was red-faced, her anger boiling over. “Do you even think - have you thought of your mother - have you thought-” 

 

Kylo was up in an instant, leaning as far forward as his broken leg would allow. “Don’t you  _ dare  _ speak to me about my mother,” he said, his composure gone, his voice now full of malice and the promise of pain. “You have no idea what you’re talking about  _ girl _ , and if you think that a lecture from some scavenger, of all people, is going to change my mind -”

 

He paused mid sentence - drawing back as Rey prepared to run. But his gaze wasn’t focused on her - rather his hand - which was now dripping wet. 

 

They both came to the realisation at once - the tide was coming in, and the cave was flooding. 

 

 

~*~

 

 

The water moved quicker than it has any right to - and within minutes, the floor of the small cave was covered with a foot of water. Kylo watched from the rock he’d dragged himself onto as the scavenger frantically tried to think of a way out. She’d tried climbing again at least three times, and with no result other than soaking herself when she fell, and further damaging her already injured arm. Her panic seemed to grow in time with the water level, and by the time two feet of water had accumulated she was practically distraught. 

 

Watching this unfold, Kylo felt a bizarre sense of amusement. He was fairly confident he could make the jump out - even with his ruined leg - and for the time being at least he was happy to watch the girl as she ran about fruitlessly. In fact, he could feel the beginnings of a plan forming. 

 

“You know, you could just wait until the water level was high enough to swim out,” he drawled, not expecting her to react. When she did stop her pacing, he was pleasantly surprised. He wasn’t prepared for what she said next, however.

 

“... I can’t swim.” She said quietly, not looking at him. She stayed there for a moment, still, as if it were only fully sinking in at that moment - that she would likely drown here, in this cave, with nobody but him, Kylo Ren: monster; creature; killer. 

 

She resumed her frantic searching, and for the first time, Kylo felt a sense of … pity for her. It was subtle, barely there, but large enough for him to be concerned. Large enough for him to quash. A Knight of Ren had no place for compassion, after all. 

 

“Oh, what a shame. The scavenger will become the scavenged - food for fish and crustaceans - quite poetic really.” 

 

She shot him a deadly glare. “I wouldn’t be so smug if I were you - it’s not as if you’ll escape, not with your kriffing leg.” This gave Kylo pause. She was right.

 

His bloody broken leg, and his bloody robes too - soon to be soaked with water - would be dead weight. Without the use of both legs to kick, he would be dragged down, and the two of them would perish together. 

 

Kylo’s eyes flashed with anger. As much as he hated to admit it, he wasn’t going to get out of here alive without the girl’s help. In that case, it was time for some bargaining. 

 

“You realise we could get out of this together, don’t you?” he drawled - and watched her freeze once more. The water was up to her waist now, her movements much slower. He could see the hesitation on her face as she opened her mouth to speak, then shut it abruptly.

 

“Better to die here and take you with me than to let you out into the galaxy once more,” she said quietly, as if she didn’t quite believe it. 

 

He studied her, knowing that he had to act quickly.

 

“And what of Skywalker - you don’t even know if he’s alive - you would trust the Wookie to get him out of here safely?” He was pushing his luck here - he knew Chewbacca was more than capable - but he was hoping Rey didn’t. 

 

This seemed to get through to her - her face crumpled, and she brought a hand up to cover her mouth. She looked as if she was tearing herself apart. Just when he thought there was no hope -

 

“Okay. Fine. I agree, we need to work together to escape. What’s your plan?” The words tumbled out of her mouth quickly, and she didn’t look at him as she spoke. 

 

He felt a glow of pride - was this what it would feel like to be her teacher - her master? He held her in his gaze for a moment before dismissing the notion - there were more pressing matters at hand. 

 

“You’ll need to move me over to the tunnel - you’ll be able to stand on my shoulders and hands, and from there you should be able to reach the ledge. Once you’re up, you can pull me up after you.” She held his gaze as he explained, not reacting.

 

“I won’t be able to pull you up with just one arm,” came her curt response. Her tone rankled him, and a sneer formed on his face.

 

“You will,” he said with a terse nod. “Or are you really that poorly schooled in the Force? I did offer you my tutelage...” When she didn’t answer he continued. “I suppose then, the other option would be for you to boost me, using my good leg, and I could then pull you up.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Does that take your fancy, scavenger?”

 

It was Rey’s turn to sneer. Rather than replying to him, she simply strode forwards, and was about to seize one of his arms and drag him across the cave when she stopped - as if waiting for him to lunge at her.

 

Kylo sighed, frustration evident in his tone. 

 

“I don’t know if you hadn’t noticed, scavenger, but we’re on a tight schedule here.” The water was still rising, and he was in danger of floating off his rocky perch, despite the fact that it was several feet higher than the cave floor. Rey herself was now in water up to her armpits, and her every movement spoke of a deep panic settling into her bones. He offered his drenched arm, and after a split second of hesitation she grasped it with her good one, allowing him to grasp at her opposite shoulder as she wove her arm around his back. 

 

They started off across the small cave - which dipped slightly in the centre, leaving Rey spluttering as Kylo balanced on one leg and dragged her up. Pretending as if she weren’t clinging to him, she kicked off the bottom to propel them forwards, sighing with relief when she touched the other side of the cave. She was shivering, Kylo noticed.

 

“Alright,” she said, more to herself than him. “I’ll brace myself against the wall, you use your arms and good leg to climb me and pull yourself onto the ledge, okay?” Her eyes were wide with fear, and it unsettled Kylo. He was used to the expression, but on her - on her it felt wrong. He didn’t feel powerful when he saw her looking at him like that - he felt weak. 

 

He nodded tersely, and watched as she turned and clung to the wall. Even seeing her like this troubled him: her head bowed, shivering, genuinely scared - her previous venom evaporated. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know who the culprit was - himself, or the rapidly rising tide.

 

His right foot braced upon her left knee, he climbed, hands finding purchase on the slippery yet ragged rocks of the cave wall - and once he was free of the water, all it took was a Force-assisted boost and he went sprawling into the tunnel. He heard Rey gasp from below, and crawled back to where the tunnel met the cave, ignoring his winded lungs. He poked his head out to confirm she was still there - and she was, but only barely. The water was even higher, she had to tilt her head just to breathe. 

 

Bracing his good leg against the opening, he reached down, arm stretching as far is it could to take her trembling hand in his. There was a terrifying moment when he thought he couldn’t reach her -  _ why was he terrified? _ \- but she snagged his fingers and let out a cry of relief. That instant was electric - for a second everything else faded away, it was just them, holding hands in the dark. Then it was over, and he was roughly pulling her up, using all his strength to pull her out of the dark water and into the safety of the tunnel. 

 

For a moment they were a tangle of limbs - all knees and elbows and wet fabric - her torso pressed against his in the confined space - but it was all over in a matter of seconds. Rey rolled away, panting heavily. Something unnameable hung between them, the air heavy. 

 

Rey was first to speak.

 

“Thank you for not leaving me down there,” she said quietly. Kylo didn’t look at her, just focused on his sodden boots. 

 

“Thank you, too.” He replied, equally quiet. The moment of silence, broken only by their ragged breath extended for a few seconds longer, before Kylo felt compelled to break it. 

 

“Go on,” he said, louder now. “Go to him, to Skywalker. Get out of here before the First Order arrives.” He looked at her now, and was taken aback by the expression on her face. She looked just as uneasy as he. 

 

“And what will happen to you?” she asked quietly. 

 

He waved his hand. “Something awfully unpleasant, no doubt. Now go, before I find my saber.” 

 

Rey watched him for a moment longer, then turned to go, leaving him alone in the tunnel. Kylo, unable to resist a final quip, spoke suddenly.

 

“I hope you enjoyed our first lesson, Rey.” 

 

Rey ran.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this maybe a month ago (?) and funnily enough, between now and then there's been details released about a cave scene on Ahch-To in ep 8 !! Very exciting times. (Side note, any australians know where to get the new vanity fair??)


End file.
